Specialized health-care clinics on Vancouver Island fear program cuts

The Island Sexual Health Community Centre in Saanich, B.C. (CTV News)

A pair of specialty health clinics on Vancouver Island are strained by funding concerns that are putting the sustainability of services at risk.

“We get upwards of 300 phone calls a day. We simply can’t keep up with that demand,” said Island Sexual Health Community Centre executive director Bobbi Williams.

The Saanich-based non-profit offers comprehensive sexual health care for people of all genders, orientations, abilities and ages. The executive director is worried about the sustainability of a unique part of the service.

“It doesn’t feel great,” said Williams. “Primary care that we offer here for attached patients will not be changing. That will continue to operate. The sexual health program, which has the higher demand for administration is the program that is being affected by our deficit.”

Island Sexual Health received funding from the province as a community health centre. But staff say there hasn’t been an increase to funding amid rising costs for operations.

It’s launched a fundraiser to bring back an administrative position to preserve its sexual health programming, which includes STI testing and cervical cancer screenings.

“We are so grateful to the people that have taken the time to donate to us and we truly appreciate it,” said Williams.

Island Sexual Health is not the only health-care site under pressure.

The Saanich Peninsula Outreach Team’s temporary contract for space at the Peninsula Health Unit is expiring in March.

“We’re providing attachment to complex patients. So patients with mental health and addiction challenges, patients with brain injury and patients with other barriers to health and other complex medical conditions,” said SPOT’s medical director, Dr. Michal Pawlik. “We’re focusing on these high needs patients that otherwise would have (a) difficult time to be attached to a family physician, to a primary-care provider.”

Pawlik is trying to earn a contract with the province under the Alternative Payments Subsidiary Agreement. It would secure operational funding – allowing the team to move the clinic, and its roughly 700 patients, somewhere else on the peninsula.

“This is actually where we should be funding and putting our money in to take that pressure off of our hospitals,” said BC Health Coalitions policy and campaigns director Ayendri Riddell.

Provincial response

The ministry of health says it’s reviewing SPOT’s application for an Alternative Payments Subsidiary Agreement. Staff did not provide a timeline for the work.

B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne voiced her appreciation for the outreach team at an unrelated event last week.

“This is an incredible team of people that’s delivering a really valuable service to people and I’m really grateful for the work that they’re doing,” she said. “We’ll continue to hear from the clinic and speak with Island Health about opportunities.”

CTV News issued a separate request for comment in relation to its priorities for these two services but did not receive a comment by deadline.

Island Sexual Health’s executive director says a new funding model for community health centres is under review by BC Association of Community Health Centres and the Ministry of Health. Williams does not anticipate it will move forward until 2026.

“The funding freeze with the ministry has had an impact on programs. There’s no question about that. But I’m really hopeful that we’re going to see some movement going forward – and especially with respect to those that offer community health centre services and that’s where our passion lies,” said Williams.

If it’s forced to close, SPOT believes many of its patients will end up relying on emergency departments for care.

“These types of patients need longitudinal care. They need attachment,” said Pawlik.

He says the outreach team is preventing hospital visits and providing care that can be life-saving.

“The evidence is that these services actually save money,” he said.